Hi there, come on in. It is, isn’t it? It feels like such a long time since we’ve been able to share a lovely night like this … hmm? Oh, that would be wonderful, but I doubt we’ll get that lucky. It’s still just January! Who? No, I haven’t now that you mention it. Did you hear something? Is everything okay? Yeah, you’re right, it’s just me being paranoid because of, well, you know. He’ll show up eventually, so in the meantime let’s get inside and grab somewhere to plop and something to eat – not necessarily in that order!

Did I tell you Still popped in last week and cleaned the frig for me? She’s so awesome. As always, after she spent plenty of time making fun of me we curled up on the sofa and yakked for hours. There’s really nothing like old friends to make a day seem … what the hell was that? Oh! Sorry, I probably shouldn’t have left that there considering how heavy it is, but honestly how is one person supposed to handle that? Would you? Just in there would be great; behind that other thing I don’t know what to do with. I did not! Stop laughing! They offered, didn’t they? Okay, okay … so what can I get to quench your thirst?

Grab the plastic cups and the marker – yeah, it’s over there, too. You know the drill and no, it’s not stupid. Anyway, I’m having Zin and there’s plenty … also the usual soda stuff that’s probably going flat and some beer in the sparkling frig and … just root around for yourself. Of course! I’ll put on a pot just for you and to make the place smell like home. How’s that?

Well, the sofa’s full of folks and the ugly blue chair is full of dog – are there no courageous people here? – so I’m grabbing a spot on the floor. That pillow is mine sayeth the host! Who threw that? Okay, that one works, too. Anyway, hopefully everyone is comfy and has a drink and an edible something nearby. If anybody wants anything else from me then speak now or hold it for awhile ‘cause I’m settling in … no? Great. Here on out the place is yours to graze as you see fit; perfume of coffee one of the perks. I saw that.

Where’s the music? Oh, no, you know I’m the last person to do that. What? Yes! Y’all are perfect … no, some of them are empty but the CD is probably close by if you look around. Of course I still listen to CDs! I know that, so there’s no reason to – what do you mean, old? It’s called old-school, thank you very much. Besides, the quality is still so much better than anything you can get elsewhere. Because I said so. Who said that? I still miss the really old days of vinyl records. Record players, diamond-tipped needles … and the very best thing … album covers! Who still has a collection of vinyl tucked away somewhere? It’s like a whole bunch of memories and lifetimes that can’t be replaced and yet can’t really be replayed. Impossible to reproduce and impossible to let it go … so still we hold on. How many times have you moved and taken that heavy load of useless, warped, scratched and priceless rubber with you? Exactly! Has George Carlin written all over it.

I’m ready for another plastic refill, how about you? Sure, I can handle that if you bring the bowl. I think there’s another bag of chips under there – no, not, yeah, there – and some cheese in the frig. I swear it’s safe! Didn’t you hear me say Still was here? Wait, weren’t there some cookies left? Maybe I was thinking of the brownies we already scarfed down … check the cabinet to your left. Bingo!

Nice choice of music … I’d forgotten I had that. Come to think of it, I’ve forgotten a lot of the music and video that I’ve collected over the years. Ha. Ha. Ha. Like you’ve got any room to talk. I know, right? It’s so weird to be older and feel younger even though you used to be younger and felt older – why are you taking my cup away?

[....] Last month, Jared Kushner announced the Administration’s support for the bill in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, writing that the six million Americans in local and federal prisons are included among “the forgotten men and women” that Trump vowed to fight for during his Presidential campaign.. “Get a bill to my desk, and I will sign it,” Trump promised. The House passed the bill this week.

President Trump on Thursday canceled a planned summit next month with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, citing “tremendous anger and open hostility” from the rogue nation in a letter explaining his abrupt decision.

“I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting,” Trump said to Kim in a letter released by the White House on Thursday morning.

The summit had been planned for June 12 in Singapore.

In his letter, Trump held open the possibility that the two leaders could meet at a later date to discuss denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, which Trump has been pushing.

"President Trump’s unprecedented meeting on Monday with the FBI director and deputy attorney general regarding a case in which he is directly involved may turn out to be the defining moment of his presidency and for his party. Bob Bauer at the Lawfare blog writes:

North Korea is threatening to reconsider Kim Jong Un’s participation in a summit with President Trump next month, saying it is up to the United States to decide whether it wants to “meet us at a meeting room or encounter us at nuclear-to-nuclear showdown.”

Stacey Abrams just one the Democratic Gubernatorial race in Georgia by roughly 3:1. She could become the first black and first female Governor of Georgia. It looks like the Republican candidate will be chosen after a runoff election since no one reached 50% of the vote.

Evans argued that Democrats could win by appealing to moderate Republicans. Abrams argued that the party needs to focus on disaffected Democrats. Abrams won. Abrams even won Democrats in northern Georgia with small minority populations.

Kendrick Lamar brought on a white fan onstage to rap along with his song “m.A.A.D. City”. When the fan rapped the song as written, repeating the N-word three times, Lamar halted the performance. He told the fan that she could not use the word. She apologized. He gave her a second chance. She almost rapped the word again, the crowd was not having it. Lamar ushered the fan off stage and continued the performance.

The audience responded negatively to the white fan using the words on stage. She lost the crowd with the first use of the words. Some did point out that she was just rapping the words as written.